Drop tube and bracket



March 12, 1935. J. A. MARTocELLo DROP TUBE AND BRACKET Filed oct. 29, 1929 XPatented Mar. l2,

UNITED f s-'mrss4 Parerlr oFFlCE My invention relates to thel aerating equipment of an ice can with particular reference "to,

cooperating connections between theair nozzle, the drop tube and the bracket that supports Vthe tube in the can. j

A purpose of myinvention is to use a drop tube bracket for holding the drop tube from turning during the insertion of an air nozzle into thehead or ferrule ofl the tube.

A further purpose isftofhold adroptube freni: turning in its bracket without aiectirigfthe adaptation of the tube to swing laterallyin any direction;

A further purpose is to provide a drop tube bracket and the head or'ferrule'ofY a drop tube supported by the bracket with one or more radially interlocking connections, preferably providing one or more radial extensions from the head or ferrule of the tube and one or more cooperating recesses in the bracket, the recesses receiving the extensions.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims.

I have elected to show a few forms only of my invention, selecting forms that are practical and eicient in operation and which well illustrate the principles involved.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating an assembly of structure embodying my invention upon an offset bracket.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan View of the assembly structure of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical. section taken upon the line 4 4 of Figure 2. y

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a detail shown in section in Figures 3 and 4. y

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the tube head assembly in place in a bracket, the bracket being shown in section.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of structure embodying a slightly modified form.

Figure 8 is a top plan View to reduced scale illustrating my invention applied to a straight bracket instead.v of the offset bracket of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating a different form.

Figure 10 is a horizontal section taken upon the line 10--10 of Figure 9.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all figures.

Describing in illustration and not in limitation and referring to the drawing:-

In the manufacture of raw ice inV cans, the water during freezing is aerated through drop tubes that remain in the cans until the freezing process is completed. Y t

These air 'drop vtubes depend from individual brackets that are removably mounted upon the individual cans, ,each tube having a loose con- -ne'ction with its bracket 16 that adapts it to hang down vertically in the can 17 when the bracket is'"'put in place but does not permit the tube to separate from the bracketV during the handling of the tube and bracket'as a unit.

AfterV the freezing operation has been completed an air supply nozzle 18 is removed from the head end of the air tube and the can is lifted out and transferred to a thawing tank withthe bracket and air tube still in place but the nozzle usually remaining at the freezing licor, at the outer end of flexible connection 19 to a suitable air lateral not shown.

The nozzle 18 is thus connected and disconnected on the freezing floor respectively before and after each freezing operation, and my invention is directed to a form of connection between the bracket and air tube that will permit more easy and tighter connection of the nozzle into the air tube, in that it will permit an operator to twist the nozzle with respect to the air tube during its insertion withouttaking hold of the air tube, the turning movement of the nozzle with respect to .the air tube effecting more easy and tight t between the tube and nozzle. 'y Y The end of the bracket is perforated at 20 and the tube is,.provided with a composite head hav. ing enlargements above and below the perforation or hole in the bracket, the tube being adapted to self-center irrespective of small angular variation in the slope of the bracket, the tube usually hanging straight down in the inner axis of the can.

The perforation or hole 20 through the bracket is desirably beveled downwardly at 21 and upwardly at 22, the downward and upward bevels respectively affording a supporting surface for centering the tube and clearance for permitting angular movement of the depending tube.

The composite head includes a ferrule 23 having a downwardly extending shank threaded internally and externally at 24 and 25 respectively, the internal threading receiving the threaded end of the tube 26 and the external threading receiving a lock collar 27 which surrounds the drop tube Y Cil tion, providing the recesses 29' upon the ferrulef I usually prefer to make the recesses-29" large enough to avoid engagement Wlththeprojections 28 but optionally may make theirec'ssesdenitely t the projections as illustratedlin Eigurej, Yalso in Figures 9 and 10, and either structure nay be preferable, according to circumstance, principally according to local conditions that determine the positivement fhv.C'aie'thfifzig' 116eri lIn I`vi'evvl of "'rriyinvention' and disclosure 'variations andmodications tomeet individual' vvl'iim or Aparticular "need willl doubtless Abeconrie evident toothers skilled in theiart, to obtainall 'orpart' of thebene'iitsofl inyinvention 'Without copying the 4structure show"n,'" andI; therefore, claimv all suchin so far as'theyifall Within the'rea'sonable spirit and scope of `my invention.'

4=-IIaving 'thus described my invention, whatV I" claim as new and desire vtojsecure byLetters Patent is 1. In icecan equipment, a bracket adapted toV be removably mounted upon the can and having a vertical hole near its outer end, an air tube, a

ferrule having an upper portion toolarge to pass through the hole and a lower portion surrounded by the walls of the hole, spaced from them and.A rigidly connected to the tube in combination with a radially interlocking connection between thel ferrule and bracket. in Which the interlocking oftheferl`e pdfi its lo'iivi'faxs"as Vduingrthe twisting insertion of an air nozzle into the ferrule.

2. An ice can tube-'supporting bracket'havingV aghole`in theend,v a tube located Within the hole,

a support for the tube resting upon the upper surfr ffaefbfthebracket and having a, 1ower parmhe support egtendingidovvninto the hole and spacedV `from the walls of the hole to 'allow swinging movementar'id' aflug for the support 'fitting looselyinto d a Wall connlectedsowith thehole andzpreventing turning m' ement of the "suppon;5y 1

"f SQ'AIbracket fortube'support'in an icecan,

ing jaeireolf noie in ineens. owne bracket; an

.airk tubefioc'atee within'the" hoiegagdbwnwardly the' tubeengaging 'cir ularfwalls'fof the holead Q grooves adjeimmgthe wams ofthe hole whereby lugs 'carrie-Wine tearing supportnuingwitriih Y 

